Have you ever gotten 20 kills and a Victory Royale in Fortnite or caught the game winning touchdown in the Super Bowl? If so, then you have probably been on the receiving end of a High Five.
The creator of the High Five is a controversial subject and ranges from Glenn Burke and the Dodgers, Wiley Brown and the Louisville Cardinals, to Magic Johnson and Michigan State.
The High Five is a spin off of something very similar, the Low Five. This was commonly used by African Americans in the 1920’s as a sign of comaraderie. In 1927 the film “The Jazz Singer” Al Jolson is seen doing the Low Five after celebrating a Broadway audition. But this “low five” will soon reach another level.
The High Five has been around for hundreds of years right? Wrong, Oxford English Dictionary has only had High Five listed as a noun since 1980 and as a verb since 1981. The word High Five is younger than the personal computer!
October 2, 1977, at Dodgers Stadium, Dusty Baker had just hit a crucial home run to get them into the playoffs, and Glenn Burke met Baker with the first ever High Five. Baker said, “his hand was up in the air, and he was arching way back. So I reached up and hit his hand. It seemed like the right thing to do,” and from there history was made.
As a Kentucky fan, it pains me to say that the Louisville Cardinals did something special. At practice for the 1978-79 Cards, Wiley Brown went for a low five with Derek Smith but Smith replied with, “No. Up high”, without realizing they had started a new high five trend that would take the world by storm.
Or, could it have been Magic Johnson? Johnson claims that while at Michigan State he and Greg Kelser created this legendary celebration. Johnson said, “At Michigan State, myself and Greg Kelser, He went in, and I did an unbelievable no-look pass. He caught it, and he dunked it. So for us to point at each other first, and then he came running real fast. And just – I threw my hand up. He came, high-fived me. And then we started doing that all the time.” Of course, this may not be the most reliable source, but on the other hand, it is Magic Johnson.
Today, the High Five is seemingly ubiquitous—everywhere you go, every team, every friend is high fiving. It’s an easy way to say good job and is a good morale booster. According to International Fitness Academy, it releases endorphins and is even good for your health! Some of the most successful teams in the world are known to high five the most, no wonder it’s such an awesome celebration. So whether it’s down low, or up high: give me five!
